Petőcz Kálmán (szerk.): National Populism and Slovak - Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006-2009 (Somorja, 2009)
Annex
The Case of Hedviga Malinová graphologists, the address on the envelope as well as the inscription on the blouse was identical with Malinová’s handwriting. Finally, he presented the results of DNA testing and said that the saliva found on the envelope’s sealing strip as well as on the stamp’s reverse side belonged to the victim. Malinová explained that the stamp had fallen off so she licked its reverse side and re-stuck it. Kaliňák countered by saying that the postal stamp “matched the stamp to one hundred-thousandth millimetre” and that the only explanation was that the victim had posted the envelope herself. Kaliňák continued that although Malinová’s credit card had allegedly been stolen, she did not do anything to put a stop on it. He also pointed out that no phone call had been made from her cellular phone at the time of the incident; later it turned out that the police checked not only the phone calls made from Malinová’s cellular phone but also those made by teachers of the Hungarian department. Premier Fico who appeared at the same press conference said he was sad over how much energy his administration had had to expend in vain over lies of one student, adding that Slovakia had been undeservedly criticized before the investigation was concluded. After the spectacular press conference, Gábor Gál, a lawyer and MP for SMK-MKP at the time, took over Malinová’s legal representation; he began by publishing photographs taken shortly after the incident and calling a press conference for September 13. At the press conference, Malinová described in detail the events of August 25, 2006. Then she spoke of investigators trying to pressure her during the interrogation on September 9, 2006.5 She reiterated she did not remember whether she had spoken to somebody over the phone or in person before the attack and that she licked and restuck the fallen-off stamp because the police had requested that the envelope be handed over intact. Malinová emphasized she was willing to undertake a polygraph test, which she had already requested during the September 9 police interrogation, to prove that she was telling nothing but the truth and did not make anything up. Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák and Slovak Police Force President Ján Packa reacted by holding another press conference at which they cited from the case file. Packa emphasized that involved in investigating the case were 250 members of the force who had checked on 620 persons, adding that if the incident had indeed taken place its perpetrators could not have possibly slipped out of the justice’s hands. At the same time, Slovak politicians began to criticize SMK-MKP, arguing that one of its deputies accepted Malinová’s legal representation in order to score political points off a police matter; on September 14, Gál eventually resigned as Malinová’s legal counsel.6 303
